Freshman Comp
If you are taking Freshman Composition (English 1310 and English 1320),
then you are studying from a syllabus based on the Progymnasmata model.
Progymnasmata (pro ghim NAS ma ta), or “preliminary,” exercises are loosely
modeled after the actual assignments that students in ancient Greece used to
learn rhetoric. Progymnasmata are designed to draw you into increasingly
complex ways of understanding rhetorical strategies and to understand the
rhetoric we all face all around us every day.
Simply put, rhetoric is the art of using language, whether we’re using it in
writing or in our everyday speech. Rhetoric exists all day every day, from a
billboard, to a bumper sticker, to a tattoo. All of these items deliver a sort of
message; the effectiveness of the message has the potential to persuade us to
see things differently or to acknowledge that a different viewpoint is a viable
option. Once you understand the terminology you’re using in the course, you’ll
find it quite useful because you’ll be able to turn that terminology into effective
rhetorical tools you can use over and over, both in your coursework and in the
future when you enter the workforce.
Members of Western civilization have looked to the ancient Greeks because of
their sophisticated modes of living, learning, and governing themselves. Many
of our modern ideas are taken from Greek models, including our judicial
system and the modern Olympic games. Using the Progymnasmata model
continues that tradition. The fourteen original Progymnasmata exercises were:
• Fable
• Narrative
• Chreia
• Maxim
• Refutation
• Confirmation
• Commonplace
• Encomium
• Invective
• Comparison
• Ethopoeia
• Ekphrasis
• Thesis
• Introduction of Law
In this handout, we’ll explain the basic premise of the papers you’ll write in
English 1310 and English 1320. We’ll conclude with a brief definition of many
of the important terms you’ll use in these courses.
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English 1310: College Writing I
Your instructor may choose to vary the content somewhat, but you can expect
the following types of assignments.
Fable or Tale
In this assignment, you’ll use invention and copia to write a narrative like the
Tortoise and the Hare. Your goal in this assignment is to analyze the
techniques and meanings in the original story and to put your own spin on a
modern fable that’s relevant to you and your peers.
Proverb
A proverb is a short, forceful saying that expresses a belief or value that’s
relevant, or kairotic, to a group or culture. An example of a proverb is “actions
speak louder than words.” See, it’s short. You know exactly what that means
because you’ve heard it dozens of times, and you may even believe that it’s
true. In this assignment, you’ll explore how you think of proverbs by using
amplification, which is the art of saying a great deal about very little. The
proverb is the “very little,” while your paper is the “great deal.” For instance,
you might want to think of a current event that makes the proverb “actions
speak louder than words” seem particularly relevant right now.
Field Notes and Observation Report
The challenge in this assignment is to look at rhetoric in ordinary places like a
parking lot filled with bumper sticker clad cars or the rows of tabloid
magazines at the grocery store and then to analyze the commonplaces you
observe.
Comparison or Character
In this assignment, you will either write a comparison or a character sketch of
some kind. You might compare two things ranging from people to places to
ideas. Alternately, you might choose a well-known public figure like a celebrity,
an author, a politician, and so on and create a scenario to which this person
responds. You’ll use ethical proof (proof that is based on a person’s reputation
or good character) along with voice, dialogue, and ethopoeia to complete this
assignment.
Description
When we describe something, we use words to paint a picture. Typically, we
“paint” that picture by following a certain order, as we would describe someone
from head to foot. That description, or ekphrasis, can become a powerful
means of persuading our readers. Think about television commercials you’ve
seen where the announcer described the living conditions of poor children;
those descriptions are a form of pathetic proof, descriptions aimed to move you
emotionally and to motivate you take action.
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Commonplace Book (optional)
Think of the Commonplace Book as a type of writing journal where you record
the rhetoric you see daily. This journal helps you build copia (abundant
arguments or figures) about commonplaces (ideas, statements, or knowledge
commonly shared by a group of people). In other words, the Commonplace
Book helps you compile topics you might use for your papers in this course.
Exercises in Imitation (optional)
Painters often learn techniques by copying, or imitating, the work of other
painters. Imitating another writer’s style gives you a unique perspective on how
other writers employ the same rhetorical strategies you use, as well as how
they employ rhetorical strategies you may not have tried.
Textual Artifact Project
This assignment serves as the capstone, or crowning achievement, of your
college writing so far. An artifact is any combination of words, images, and
sounds that represent the values and ideas of a group. Artifacts provide a
tangible expression of the way a person or group represents its ideas. In this
assignment, you’ll create an artifact that “speaks” to a topic that’s important to
you. Your artifact could be almost anything, from a poem on the bathroom wall
to a series of Tweets, to a Facebook post, to a series of photographs. To
complete your assignment, you’ll use kairos, commonplaces, ethos, pathos,
arrangement, and style.
Revision and Reflection
Becoming a better writer is dependent on your ability to understand the
rhetorical strategies you use in your papers, and then to use those strategies to
revise and improve your paper. When you write a reflection, your goal is to
think critically about the rhetorical strategies you’ve used and how well you
used them.
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English 1320: College Writing II
Your instructor may choose to vary the content somewhat, but you can expect
the following types of assignments.
Encomium/Invective
An encomium is a formal expression of high praise, like a eulogy, a letter of
recommendation, a character witness at a trial, or a wedding toast. An invective
is the exact opposite; it’s a strong speech against something, like testimony in
Congress before a law is passed, political ads against a candidate, or a letter to
the editor of a newspaper or magazine. An example of an invective is the
documentary film “Supersize It,” which criticizes McDonald’s restaurants for
contributing to our country’s obesity problem.
In this assignment, you’ll use many of the rhetorical strategies you used in
English 1310, as well as rhetorical strategies you’ve learned so far in English
1320. You’ll start with a brief history of your topic, and then move on to some
of the strategies you’ve learned about. These strategies include enthymemes,
examples, maxims, signs, stasis (conjecture, definition, quality, and policy),
amplification, and counterargument.
Confirmation/Refutation
In this assignment, you’ll argue both sides of a topic, either confirming or
refuting your claims by using logical proof, thesis, enthymemes, examples,
maxims, and signs. This exercise helps you learn about the invention of
arguments and how to look at an issue from a variety of perspectives.
Introduction of Law
Laws affect our lives on a daily basis. In this assignment, you’ll consider a
proposed or enacted law, and then you will either attack or defend that law.
You should include an introduction, constitutionality, justice, expediency,
practicability, and a conclusion. You’ll also want to include extrinsic proofs and
counterargument.
Research-Based Action Essay
This assignment serves as the capstone, or crowning achievement, of your
college writing so far. You’ll complete a well-researched, sophisticated essay
using the rhetorical strategies you’ve learned. You must expose an arguable
problem and offer an actionable solution that reaches your intended audience.
Commonplace Book (optional)
Think of the Commonplace Book as a type of writing journal where you record
the rhetoric you see daily. This journal helps you build copia (abundant
arguments or figures) about commonplaces (ideas, statements, or knowledge
commonly shared by a group of people). In other words, the Commonplace
Book helps you compile topics you might use for your papers in this course.
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Progymnasmata Terminology
You’ll encounter many of these terms and ideas during your work in English
1310 and English 1320.
Five Canons of Rhetoric
The Five Canons, or rules of rhetoric, are guides to helping you create an
effective rhetorical strategy. The canons include
• Invention, or the process of developing arguments
• Arrangement, or organizing ideas for maximum impact
• Style, or determining how to present the argument most effectively
• Memory, the process of memorizing both speeches and persuasive
messages
• Delivery, or the way a speaker uses tones, pronunciation, pacing, and
gestures to present a persuasive argument
Amplification & Amplification means the ability to say a lot about a little.
expansion In other words, you can amplify, or expand, your idea by
discussing it at length.
Arrangement Arrangement refers to the order in which you place your
arguments and/or your evidence.
Artifact An artifact is any combination of words, images, and
sounds that represent the values and ideas of a group.
Artifacts provide a tangible expression of the way a
person or a group represents its ideas.
Chreia (KRAY ya) Chreia is a beginning exercise in the
Progymnasmata exercises. In it, you elaborate on a
famous saying or event, like the signing of the
Declaration of Independence.
Commonplace A commonplace is an idea, statement, or knowledge
that’s commonly accepted by a group of people.
Comparison Comparison is considered a sophisticated rhetorical
concept. In it, you place two similar items side-by-side
and look at their similarities.
Confirmation A confirmation is an elaboration in support of something
you hold to be true or correct.
Conjecture A conjecture is a guess or speculation that something’s
true.
Copia (KO pee ya) Copia represents an abundant and ready
supply of information you can use for any occasion.
Counterargument A counterargument is a contrasting idea that is often the
opposite of what you’re trying to say or prove.
Delivery Delivery is the way a speaker uses tones, pronunciation,
pacing, and gestures to present a persuasive argument.
Dialogue Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people.
It can also be an exchange of ideas.
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Ekphrasis (ek FRAY sis) Also called “description.” Simply put, it’s
the description of a work of art as part of a rhetorical
exercise. An example of an ekphrasis is John Keats’s
poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” where Keats describes the
urn and imagines what it means both to him and to
others who might see it.
Encomium (en KOH mee uhm) An encomium is a formal expression
of high praise, like a eulogy, a letter of recommendation,
a character witness at a trial, or a wedding toast.
Enthymemes (EN thee meem) An enthymeme is a type of three part
deductive reasoning (also called a syllogism) that omits
one part of the reasoning because it’s considered
obvious. Here’s an example:
All men are mortal.
Socrates was a man.
Socrates was mortal.
Ethical proof
Ethopoeia
Ethos
Examples
Extrinsic proof
In an enthymeme, we’d leave one part of that argument
out. Our reasoning could look like this in an
enthymeme:
All men are mortal.
Socrates was mortal.
Ethical proof depends on the good reputation of the
rhetor (the person making the argument).
(ee tho PO ee ya) Ethopoeia is a character portrayal.
Ethopoeia allows you to understand someone else’s
viewpoint by putting yourself in their situation. It’s the
rhetorical equivalent of what happens in To Kill a
Mockingbird when Atticus tells Scout, "You never really
understand a person until you consider things from his
point of view” (Lee 39).
(EE thos) Ethos is a person’s character or reputation. It
is also the fundamental principles of a culture—the
ideas, practices, and customs of a group of people.
An example is an element of rhetorical proof that
supports your argument.
Extrinsic proof exists in the rhetorical situation itself.
You don’t have to invent it. For example, we consider
justice to be good because its basic principle is morally
right and sound.
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Fable A fable is a short story with a moral point. Most of us are
familiar with Aesop’s fables, like the story of the Tortoise
and the Hare. The moral of that fable is “slow and steady
wins the race.”
Imitation
Introduction
of Law
Invective
Invention
Kairos
Logos
Maxim
Memory
Narrative
Pathetic proof
Pathos
There are three forms of fables: the rational form with
human characters; the ethical form with animals as lead
characters; and the third form, which involves both
humans and animals as characters.
Rhetorical imitation involves copying the work of other
rhetors so you can understand their style and their
process.
Introduction of law is the last and the most challenging
of the Progymnasmata exercises. In it, you consider a
proposed or enacted law, and then you will either attack
or defend that law.
An invective is a strong speech against something, like
testimony in Congress before a law is passed, political
ads against a candidate, or a letter to the editor of a
newspaper or magazine. An example of an invective is
the documentary film “Supersize It,” which criticizes
McDonald’s restaurants for contributing to our country’s
obesity problem.
The process of developing arguments.
(KY ross) The right time, opportunity, occasion, or
season. An example of kairos is South Carolina’s
decision to remove the Confederate flag after the church
massacre in Charleston in the summer of 2015.
(LO gose) The logic or premise behind an argument.
A maxim is a familiar saying, like “absence makes the
heart grow fonder.” Most of us think of maxims as
having some element of truth.
Memory is the process of memorizing both speeches and
persuasive messages to have them readily available.
A narrative is anything that tells a story. Aristotle
claimed there were four values to narrative—clarity,
directness, persuasiveness, and purity of language.
Pathetic proof appeals to our emotions or motives. An
example is a letter from a homesick child who begs to
come home from summer camp.
(PAY those) Pathos is the Greek word for “emotions” or
“passions.” Many words we use have the root “pathos” in
them—sympathy, empathy, pathological, apathy,
telepathy, and so on.
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Proverb A proverb is a short, forceful saying that expresses a
belief or value that’s relevant, or kairotic, to a group or
culture. An example of a proverb is “actions
speak louder than words.”
Reflection A reflection represents your ability to reflect, or think,
about the work you’ve written. When you write a
reflection, your goal is to think critically about the
rhetorical strategies you’ve used and how well you used
them.
Refutation When you refute, you consider claims that oppose your
own claims, and then you argue against those opposing
ideas. Using refutation well strengthens your argument
because it demonstrates you’ve considered all angles of
your topic and the objections people could have to it.
Rhetor (REH toor) A rhetor is anyone who uses rhetoric for any
reason. When you write your papers for English 1310
and English 1320, you are the rhetor.
Rhetoric Rhetoric is the art of using language, whether we’re
using it in writing or in our everyday speech.
Signs Facts or events that usually (or always) follow other facts
or events. For example, if you have a fever, you’re
probably ill.
Stasis (STASE is) Stasis means to stay in place or take a stand.
Stasis theory In stasis theory, you critically assess each element of
your argument. Doing this allows you to clarify your
thinking, to consider the ideas and values of your
audience, to name areas that need more research or
consideration, to think about which points are critical to
proving your point, and to arrange your ideas for
maximum impact.
Style Style refers to using language to its most effective
advantage.
Syllogism (SILL or jiz im) A syllogism is a type of deductive
reasoning that has three parts. A classic syllogism is
All men are mortal.
Socrates was a man.
Socrates was mortal.
The last statement in a syllogism is a natural conclusion
you get from the first two statements.
Thesis (THEE sis) A thesis is a general issue.
Voice For the Greeks, voice was literally the ways in which you
used the volume, tone, and inflection of your voice to
carry your argument forward.
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Works Cited
Crowley, Sharon and Debra Hawhee. Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students.
Fifth edition. Boston: Pearson, 2012. 391 pages.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: HarperCollins, 2014. 385 pages.